Meet Rob Hanzlik. It goes without saying he was born into a basketball family, but Rob has had a great career, both on and off the basketball court. As a proud member of the Gold Crown Basketball class of 2001, Rob continued to give back to Gold Crown Foundation through coaching in the Hanzlik Hoops Camp throughout college, the same camp he started playing in as a kid.
GC: When you think about your Gold Crown basketball days, what comes to mind?
RH: 1 - Playing teams from all over the state and scouting out the competition. 2 - Waiting for the brackets to come out to see who we would be playing next. 3 – Good times with great friends.
GC: What was your path after Gold Crown?
RH: I played for Mullen High School where we also won the Colorado State Championship my senior year. Then, I headed to prep school at New Hampton to continue playing basketball. I had a great few years there and played against some great basketball players, including Isaiah Thomas. I finished out my college career at Adams State University where I was a co-captain my senior year. Today, I am an Account Manager overseeing southeast Colorado at Alpine Waste and Recycling and also started my own company, Ascent Waste Consulting.
GC: How did playing Gold Crown basketball prepare you for where you are today?
RH: Youth sports taught me a lot. They are a healthy environment to learn through success and failure, so playing youth sports gave me the experience on how to work through anything later in life. Sports also prepared me to be a better co-worker, leader, husband, employee and friend. Through sports I learned about humility, accomplishment, training, character, limitations and being a part of something bigger then myself. Also, fun! It is fun to workout, compete and break a sweat.
GC: Any other last words?
RH: I am grateful for the experiences I had growing up playing in Gold Crown leagues, tournaments and camps. Hopefully, when my wife and I have kids, I can be their coach! I look forward to the day my kids can play in the same programs and gain the positive experiences I had from Gold Crown basketball when I was young.
Thanks, Rob, for setting a great example on how Gold Crown kids can take their experience playing sports into their careers and everyday life.